Phoenix #10: Like A Moth To The Flame, Burned By The Fire

This is it! The final showdown between Jean, Adani, and  Perrikus! Will Perrikus and the Dark Gods succeed, and let remnants of the Dark Universe spread from universe to universe, allowing them to take control of the multiverse? Will Adani succumb to the cruel fate that Perrikus has thrust upon her, by absorbing more energies that she had done thus far? Or will Jean be able to save this young girl, and the multiverse as well? Read on to find out!

Stephenie Phillips, Alessandro Miracolo, and Marco Renna has brung us on this cosmic journey of self exploration, as well as coming to terms with things that, regardless of how much power you have, there are some things that we just can’t change. Whether that’s Phoenix not being able to bring back her family who were eradicated while she was dead, or Adani bringing back her father, who was killed by Perrikus when he escaped from his cosmic prison.

Phillips has given Jean this brand new mission amongst the stars, where she’s trying to make amends for her past actions as the Phoenix, as well as become a of protector to those who aren’t able to protect themselves from the cosmic powerhouses who treat these civilizations as if they were nothing but ants. We’ve gone on this emotional journey that works to humanize Jean, while also building her into this cosmic powerhouse that’s on the same levels as characters like The In-Betweener, or the members of the pantheon of Dark Gods, like Perrikus, or Tokkots.

These journeys of self-reflection and self-discoveries is something that we as cosmic comic book fans are used to, as it’s something that we’ve seen with characters like Silver Surfer, Adam Warlock, and Captain Marvel, but it’s something we’re not used to seeing with an X-Man. Despite spending decades where the mutants have had several adventures across the universe and beyond, but we haven’t had a chance to see someone like Jean have this kind of characterization. Sure, we’ve seen the whole dichotomy of being a mutant with unlimited power, and that power corrupts, but it’s never on the scale of what Phillips is giving us now. It’s not just earth, it’s the entire multiverse at stake here. Jean’s a cosmic powerhouse, and she’s here to tell the rest of the universal deities to be on alert. She’s not going anywhere.

This is Alessandro Miracolo’s last issue as series artist, and it’s been a tumultuous rollercoaster from the beginning. From a controversy surrounding tracing other artists’ work, to having an uneven run visually, but he’s here, and he’s sending off Jean, Adani, Perrikus, Nova, and so many others in a heck of a send off. Alessandro’s pages are full of energy, and passion. The panels are kinetic, and while sometimes hard to follow, his work tries to portray a story featuring these larger than life characters. I’ve grown to enjoy Miracolo’s work on this book, and I hope to see him attached to another cosmic themed book. Maybe a new Nova series after the upcoming Imperial event mini.